SEOUL — South Korea's CJ E&M will co-produce the TV drama We Are Men 2 with China's Giant Media Co. The 36-episode series is due to air in 2015, CJ announced Tuesday.

Chinese director Tan Ruru, who directed the first season of the romantic comedy series, will produce the upcoming project. Popular Korean and Chinese actors such as Park Hae-jin, Zhang Liang and Fu Xinbo will play lead roles.

We Are Men premiered on China's Zhe Jiang Satellite TV in 2011 and recorded hit ratings. It is considered the local male version of Sex and the City, as it follows the professional and romantic lives of three successful young men.

"Announcement of the launching of We Are Men 2 has already caused a stir among Chinese fans thanks in large part to the casting of Korean actor Park Hae-jin," said a spokesperson for CJ. Park has garnered a large following in China through the popular TV soaps Duo Duo's Marriage and My Love From the Star.

"The early buzz for We Are Men 2 has really been incredible, and we are excited by the show’s potential to win over Chinese fans by combining the star power and production know-how of China and Korea," said Kim Hyun-sung, head of CJ E&M's business department.

"We also see this project as a springboard to future co-production efforts covering different genres which feature terrific, world-class content and continue to promote cultural exchange between Korea and China," he said.